The present invention relates to an apparatus for utilizing natural energies which are available on the surface and/or under the surface of the waters of the world's oceans. The energies are stored in flywheel type energy storing facilities, which are installed in floating vessels, such as ships or rafts.
The natural energies available on the planet earth have so far been tapped only to a small extent. There are several reasons for this lack of effort in utilizing naturally available energies. One reason for not utilizing these natural energies which are generated either directly or indirectly by the sun, is seen in that the energies are not generally available in a uniform manner which is desirable for a large scale utilization in the industrialized using countries. Another reason is seen in that heretofore, there have been no satisfactory solutions for the storing and transporting of such natural energies from the global zones where they are available to the zones where they are needed and used.
Methods are known for the individual using of natural energies in a locally efficient manner. Thus, it is known to convert solar radiation either directly or indirectly into electrical energy by means of solar cells, as well as by means of so-called solar collectors which heat up liquid media for driving turbogenerators. A direct continuous utilization of solar radiation is not possible for evident reasons. However, it has been suggested to provide a substantially continuous utilization of solar energy by employing hot water containers or the like.
However, due to the required large size of the water reservoir only a limited local utilization of the solar energy is possible.
The utilization of wind energy poses similar problems. A substantially constant wind occurs only in regions of the globe which are uninhabited, especially over certain ocean regions. Further, the energy available in the wave motion of the oceans has remained substantially completely unutilized. Similarly, the temperature differences at different depths in the oceans have also not been utilized to any extent worth mentioning. This applies also to the temperature difference between the air and the ocean waters. This is so, although such energies residing in the temperature difference could be used economically by means of heat pumps having a well established efficiency.
Large scale energy storing devices are presently available only in the form of water reservoirs or pumping stations. The storage of electrical energy in electro-chemical batteries is so far possible only on a rather small scale if efficiency or economy is taken into account. Even flywheel type rollers and cylinders are used on a small scale for the storing of energy, although the principle has been well tested for some time now and although such flywheel type storage means have been economically used in vehicles. It has been found to be possible to achieve high energy densities and small weights by using high strength, synthetic resin impregnated fibers for the manufacturing of the flywheel type cylinders which are thus highly suitable for flywheel type energy storage devices.